FIND YOUR NEW HOME

Blog :: 06-2015

Hooray for summer! Hanging out at Reservoir beach, kayaking on Spy Pond, barbeques at Blue Ribbon - all the best of summer and you never have to leave Arlington!

Arlington is a great place to visit, but it's an even better place to call home. We have two fantastic new listings that provide a summer oasis in the heart of a bustling community. You don't want to start summer without seeing these first!

Desirable Cape-style home located near the Dallin School, situated on the right of a quite private road surrounded by beautiful gardens and wooded areas, creating a serene setting and an abundance of privacy. This charming home has received numerous updates which include heat, hot water, windows, siding, an architectural roof that was installed in 2011, a renovated kitchen, a renovated bathroom and the lower level was refinished into a spacious family room or guest suite. There are three spacious bedrooms and two meticulous bathrooms. The kitchen was updated by the previous owners and has plenty of room for a kitchen table and lots of space to just hang out. This is a truly lovely home that has been meticulously maintained with beautiful grounds and lots of privacy. There is a play set, patio and shed in the rear yard, and the yard is perfect for family time or a quiet barbecue. All with easy access to Mass. Ave. and many bus routes into Alewife and Boston, Route 2 and 128. (MLS #71863395)

Don't miss this lovely and gracious seven room condominium. Enjoy views of the Mystic Lake and the feel of your own private retreat. The gracious foyer, with leaded glass windows, welcomes you and invites you to relax in the formal living room with an impressive fireplace, built in bookcases and bay window. The adjacent formal dining room is perfect for entertaining, while the updated kitchen, with a convenient breakfast nook, will charm your guests. This well maintained home boasts much character with many built-ins and beautiful French doors. Two bedrooms, one and one half baths, plus two additional rooms for a home office, guests, or cozy den, make this condominium feel spacious, airy and just like home. Views to the ample garden and lake beyond will surely please. A year round natural wonder, enjoy kayaking and sailing on the Upper Mystic Lake, while living in the heart of Arlington, convenient to public transportation, Arlington Center and all the town has to offer! (MLS #71863409)

As much as we like to think we're different, the San Francisco area and the Boston area have many similarities when it comes to real estate. For one thing there is the ocean. Since you can't build houses on water we are both geographically restricted in terms of buildable areas. Places like Denver and Dallas can sprawl until their heart's content, but our geographic area is forcibly dense, causing rents and home values of those closest to the city to skyrocket faster and higher.

"A forward-thinking planner might have conceived of the region as three high-density nodes of housing and jobs, in San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland, with quiet bedroom communities strung like beads along commuter rail lines and highways."

Sounds familiar. Our Boston, Cambridge, Somerville to their San Francisco, San Jose. Geographically similar, bursting with intellectual capital, and off-the-charts real estate again make it seem as if we're more alike than different. Not to mention we have that 'bikeability' thing in common - according to this study, San Francisco has a bike score of 70, Boston 68.

"With homes and jobs closer together, commutes get shorter, easing the weight on the region's sagging transportation infrastructure. With better incentives to allow more construction, cities might start building enough housing to bite into the monthly rent increases."

When people live in and/or near the cities in which they work, there is more ownership, activism, and involvement than in the cities and towns where the lights go out when commuters leave. Arlington is a great example. As a densely populated town that enjoys many benefits of being close to Boston and public transportation, it also has a thriving business community of its own that makes it vibrant place to live and work. We also have our own likeable, bikeable Minuteman Bikeway and plans underway to make Mass. Ave. more bike-friendly. It's no wonder that there are so many transplants from the west coast that choose to settle in our area. Maybe there's something about a place that reminds you of home?

While we may never see eye-to-eye on whether a Venti Latte is better than a Medium Iced Regular (it's not), we can agree that there are similarities that make each of these areas great places to live.

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Happy Father's Day to all of the hard working Dads out there! Kick back and enjoy your day - but not before you see this historic home! Fantastic location, great structure, with just enough to updating needed to put those power tools to use!

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

Known as "The William Prentiss House," built circa 1855, this very special home awaits your updates and care. The house is situated on a large 9,797 square foot parcel of land, which may allow for the opportunity to expand this enchanting home. Offering what you would expect from a home of this age; charm, grace, character, period detailing and yes, the need for repairs and renovations. Whether restoring or expanding to create a new future, this home presents great potential in a lovely setting. There are three fireplaces, the functioning one is located in the living room. Adjacent to the rear of the house, off the kitchen, is a barn-type structure with terrific character and great potential. We respectfully ask interested buyers to have an inspection, prior to making an offer, as this home is being sold in "as is" condition. The main roof was installed in 1999, the boiler in 2003, the oil tank was replaced in 2005 and the home is located in the Brackett School District! (MLS #71859193)

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It's like getting a back-to-school catalogue before the school year has even ended. No. Nope. No. Not ready to think about that. It's barely summer so talk to the hand. But on the other hand....

Time flies when you're having fun and all of a sudden it's August 31st and you're caught with your swim trunks on and still no Trapper Keeper®. And just because it's almost summer doesn't mean you can toss the idea of selling your home in the recycling along with the catalogues.

It was a busy spring. We can attest to that with the 30+ closings we've handled for the month of June alone. But we can also confirm that there are plenty of buyers out there who are still searching. There is a serious buyer backlog due to a combination of a tough winter and continually low inventory rates for the past few years.

There are no dog days of summer when it comes to serious real estate in the Boston area. Buyers have invested too much time and energy to stop now. An active spring on the heels of these unprecedented market conditions means summer home selling is set to sizzle.

Contact us today (781-645-0505, info@yourhomeforsale.com) for a free and confidential custom market analysis of your home - we'll get you squared away this summer before the first bell rings in September.

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What's that now? Low interest rates, low inventory, little competition.... If you follow anything about real estate you know that there has probably never been a better time to sell your home - or has there?

Just take a look at a few headlines from the past five years. According to some industry experts, every year has been a great year to sell your home, even though economic and market conditions have changed drastically.

It can be difficult to discern what is fact or fiction, real or imagined when it comes to real estate information. Do the national headlines apply to me? Should I panic? Should I wait? What's a potential home seller to do...

So are they wrong? (yes). Or are they right? (yes). Say what now?

The fact of the matter is, there are always going to be pros and cons when it comes to the timing of selling your home. When the real estate market was still slogging out of the recession in 2010, you might not get the highest price for your home, but you knew you could find one fairly easily and for a decent price. Now, the opposite is true. Home values have skyrocketed, meaning you'll likely get a great price for your home, but you might have more of a challenge finding one to move in to.

Just because people are telling you that now is a great time to sell your home doesn't mean that it's a great time for YOU to sell YOUR home.

A great first step to figuring it all out is with a comparative market analysis (CMA). But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Working with a professional real estate team that has helped thousands of people work through the process of how to sell their home - and when - is invaluable.

Anyone can tell you what you want to hear, but when it comes to making one of the biggest decisions of your life, you want someone who is honest enough to tell you what you need to hear - and experienced enough to help you successfully navigate the entire home selling process.

Then don't forget to bring your electronics to be recycled - everything from cell phones to refrigerators - and your efforts will also help fund efforts at Fidelity House on Saturday, June 6th from 9am - 1 pm

Finally, come see our new listings this weekend! One is the perfect family home and the other has all the amenities you're looking for this summer!

P.S. Don't for get to come to the downsizing seminar, 'Planning for Your Future,' Tuesday, June 9th from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Jimmy's Steer House! There is still time to register, call today! 781-645-0505.

Absolutely stunning home located in the heart of Morningside! This custom built home is being offered for sale by the original owners that have meticulously maintained it and the home reflects "True Pride of Ownership." From the moment you step into the foyer and admire the sunken living room, you realize this is a special home. It is in fact, the perfect family home and is great for entertaining with a spacious family room located adjacent to the kitchen, which is perfectly situated so you can enjoy your company whether they are in the dining room, family room or they are enjoying the private patio or screened in sunroom. The lower level has a game room, a play room with a fireplace, half bathroom and a private office. There are three spacious bedrooms on the main level, which include the master bedroom that has a sitting room and private bath. This home has it all! (MLS #71850183)

This is an impeccable and spacious one bedroom at Kentwood Condominium, one of Arlington's premier buildings. This lovely unit has been owned by the same owner since 1978 and it has been meticulously maintained offering a large open living room with sliders to the private, screened, and enclosed balcony, a spacious dining room and an over-sized master bedroom with ample closet space. It offers garage parking and private storage. It's the perfect time to buy and enjoy the swimming pool this summer! Kentwood Condominiums have a top floor work out area and function room. (MLS #71850876)

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Because downsizing is so much more than moving from a big house to a smaller one.

In theory it doesn't sound like such a big deal. People move and downsize all the time. But when you start to break it down, it becomes clear that there are many more details to address than one might think. Clearing the clutter (what needs to go?), getting rid of unneeded furniture (where to donate?), fixing that leaky gutter (who should I call?), etc.

Because what you don't know can hurt you.

Having a team of professionals in your corner is important. Having people who can foresee the possible headaches and head them off at the pass is invaluable to your peace of mind. Attorney Carl Toumayan, Senior Loan Officer Allyson Kreycik, CPA Peter Boalri and REALTOR® Steve McKenna will make sure you don't go it alone.

Because Rome wasn't built in a day.

It takes time to plan a move, but moving from the family home requires more than just moving boxes. If you are downsizing, chances are you have been in your house for quite some time and family memories are everywhere. It is important to allot appropriate time for the process of cleaning, preparing to move and finding a new place to move in to.

Because it doesn't have to be daunting.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Having a well-thought out plan in place takes the stress out of the question, "What do I do now." Estate planning, tax implications, market conditions, financing - these are all seemingly overwhelming at first glance. But working with the right team can turn 'daunting' into 'smooth and seamless.'

Because you're hungry.

At the end of the day, who doesn't love a free lunch. And free advice and information too? The question isn't why you should attend, but why wouldn't you? See you there.

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Testimonials

It was a pleasure working with Steve and his very nice, very competent team of professionals. I could not have picked a better team to work with. I did my due diligence and interviewed five other firms, and selected Steve and his team based on their outstanding reputation in town .
Not only did they perform a job well done, he also referred me to four professionals to get the house spruced up for sale, and all did excellent work at wonderful prices. Given other constraints we had coming into the deal, the price that we achieved was perfectly satisfactory.
I look forward to working with Steve and the team on other real estate endeavors in the future. Thanks again.